Flexible, collapsible containers such as bags or pouches are used for a variety of purposes. Liquid foods such as individual servings of salad dressing may be packaged in a sealed plastic pouch. The user cuts or tears a portion of the pouch to open it and dispense the contents. The emptied pouch may then be discarded. Bags or pouches of this type are not intended to be refilled after use.
Various collapsible bags or containers are known which are adapted to be filled with liquid contents, which may be dispensed through annular spouts or fitments. The walls of the bag are typically flexible sheets of a plastic, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, or polyester. The contents of the bag are dispensed through the spout or fitment in a wall of the bag. Often the spout has a replaceable cap or closure means thereby permitting the bag to be refilled and resealed after its initial use. The liquid contents can be foods, such as juices or milk, soaps or shampoos, or other liquids, such as photoprocessing solutions or cleaning chemicals. Often the collapsible bags are contained in a rigid support container. An example of this construction is the so-called “bag-in-box” whereby a rigid exterior box structurally supports the interior bag during filling, storage, shipment, and as the bag is being emptied.
It is known to use collapsible bags for dispensing liquids without the bag having a structural support such as a box. Flexible plastic containers having a resealable spout for filling the container and dispensing its contents are commonly used for travel, such as for camping. In addition, there are also mop handle assemblies adapted to dispense a liquid wherein the liquid supply reservoir may be a flexible, collapsible bag.
Filling a flexible container once the contents have been dispensed can be inconvenient for the user. A flexible, collapsible container typically has no external means of support and does not retain its filled shape when empty. Filling the container may require one person to hold the container while a second person fills it. Alternatively, one person may attempt to hold the container with one hand while keeping the spout in an upright position while directing the filling material into the spout with the other hand. Depending on the size of the container and the weight of the contents, this procedure may induce considerable stress at the point at which the container is being held, typically at the neck of the pour spout. Neither filling process is desireable when the contents of the container are potentially hazardous.
Although commercial manufacturing facilities may have equipment adapted to support and fill a collapsible container, a need exists for a convenient means for the end user to support and refill a flexible, collapsible container having a pour spout.